Sin, Beloved
by Kyndred.Raven
Summary: To love is to sacrifice, someone once said. Rhea, in her twenty two years, has learned that no truer words have ever been spoken. She has sworn off loving, believing it to be a petty illusion. Yet, when it comes time to defend its existence to a certain god, she makes a bet that will change her life forever. (Full summary inside) (Primarily Leon/MC with multiple pairings present)


**Full Summary:**

 **The Mortal Goddess:** To love is to sacrifice, someone once said. Rhea, in her twenty two years, has learned that no truer words have ever been spoken. She has sworn off loving, believing it to be a petty illusion. Yet, when it comes time to defend its existence to a certain god, she makes a bet that will change her life forever. As she begins showing the arrogant and prideful Leon what it means to love, she falls into its trap herself and remembers things best left forgotten. The soul within her burns and thrashes, and with time, Rhea understands that the human life she covets may be lost in the maelstrom of letting a god into her heart.

 **Children of Sin:** They know her to be a former goddess, but when they see her with _him_ , they remember her to be much more than that. Each recalls a time when she belonged to them, and each invites darkness and confusion into his heart when he wants to experience it once more. When the illusion shatters and understanding dawns, it is their King's will that comes into question, and when the moment approaches to fight the ultimate evil, none know if they have the conviction to fight for the Heavens when its ruler has abandoned them.

* * *

 **Tags, Pairings, Etc.**

Pairings: Primarily Leon/MC with multiple pairings appearing briefly throughout.

Genre Tags: Romance, Action/Adventure, Mystery, Angst/Fluff

Warning Tags: At least PG-13 situations with possible sexual themes present throughout (it's an otome game fanfiction...this won't be innocent and flowery; you have been warned...)

* * *

.

 **.**

 **Sin, Beloved**

 **Prologue**

 **.**

 **.**

* * *

 _House of Jade; Year uncounted - one century before the present time_

* * *

.

.

Not all who break the laws of the world begin as criminals.

Some do so out of corruption while others make choices that lead them down the wrong path. For Aresa, neither were true. She'd broken the rule of the highest order knowing what it would mean, but she hadn't been given a choice to stop herself from doing so. Her heart had chosen for her, the very heart that now raced in response to the doubt and fear within her mind.

Those who knew her called her an advocate of sympathy. They said she looked down upon the Earth with eyes that saw only the good in man and none of his evils. It made her weak, they believed — biased, unjust. She loved too fiercely and forgave too much. Most were too young to understand that she hadn't always been so keen to love, and none knew she believed in it and valued it so highly because of the suffering she'd endured beneath its fickle and unyielding thumb.

Aresa reflected on the painful course her life had taken as she knelt down in her chambers before the ruler of the Heavens. She could feel the King's eyes upon her, but she kept hers downcast. When possible, she did not dare to look directly at him. He could not read her thoughts, yet she feared that if their eyes met, he would learn of her unforgivable sin. That could never be allowed to pass, for she'd vowed to herself that no one would ever know the truth of it.

"Goddess of Fate," the King spoke. "Do you understand what it is you are asking Us to do?"

Aresa nodded. "I do, Your Majesty."

"And do you truly comprehend the magnitude and consequences of the conditions We have set?"

"Yes," she replied. The King turned his intense gaze away from her to look out the large window in her room. As soon as she felt him turn away, Aresa glanced at him. Daylight streamed through the gossamer crimson curtains, caressing his face like a lover's hand. His golden hair shimmered with each of his movements, his aura radiating with power. Aresa was no stranger to his beauty, yet even now, it took her breath away. He stood with his back straight and his hands folded serenely before him. A gentle smile played on his sensual lips.

To the gods, he was a symbol of strength and radiance in the skies. He was their ruler, their leader, their undisputed monarch. The King was beloved by the stars, the suns, and all the moons in the Heavens, and this adoration granted him omnipotence and unrivaled power. Most feared him, approaching him only when summoned. Others resented the authority he wielded. For millennia, Aresa believed that he was a cold and unfeeling creature, juggling their lives and emotions in his hands for the purpose of amusement. Only centuries ago did she understand the burden he bore upon his shoulders. Only then did she realize that, beneath the glamour of a god, he was a man.

"Are you not afraid?" he asked, his smile turning sad. "You have no reservations?"

"None, my King."

"We will send you through the golden gates. You will lose your wings and be unable to return. Once your mortal self has reached a certain age, We will banish the chosen and command them to find you."

"I won't know them…"

"By the stars in your eyes, they will know _you_. At that point, your battle for Earth and the lives of man and god will begin. Take each under your wing in turn, either as friend or lover. Show them the purity of your heart. Open their eyes to what they cannot see and unlock their true potential."

"They won't remember me…after?" she asked, her voice hesitant.

"When things reach the point of decision, I will alter their memories…and yours. Once the chosen are cleansed, they will be strong enough to stand against the Dark King at my side."

"I won't be able to fight with you. For that, I am forever shamed."

"Without you, none of this would have been possible."

"I will do as you have commanded, Your Majesty," she promised him. "I will not waver."

When he turned around, Aresa quickly lowered her eyes again. His silken clothes rustled as he moved towards her. With each step, her heart raced faster until she thought it might spring from her chest when he stood right before her. She saw the hem of his pure white robes fluttering in front of her right before his hand came to rest beneath her chin. His fingers were warm, like rays of sunlight on a summer morning. Gently, he urged her to look at him. Aresa resisted, even as he commanded her to stand. With a hand on her arm, he guided her to him until she had no choice but to face him directly.

The dim light of her chambers did nothing to hide the glow of his ethereal features. His wine-colored eyes bore into her. She'd never been so close to him before, and doing so physically hurt. Staying in such close proximity to his power brought excruciating pain, even to a Goddess as strong as her. But it was not this pain that wounded her. What hurt were the chains of self-restraint she wound around herself. How badly she wanted to touch his face. How she _yearned_ to run her fingers through his hair to see if it was as soft as it appeared. To even think of such things was blasphemy.

"You are giving up all that you are so that you might save our worlds," the King mused. "You are the only one in the Heavens who would consider such a thing. Before We give Our final consent, you will tell Us _why_ you have chosen this path out of all others."

"Humans deserve a second chance," she said. "Everyone does, even the gods. I believe both can redeem themselves. I believe we can defeat the Dark King without sacrificing so many innocents."

"Instead, We sacrifice just one," the King frowned. His calm tone belied a churning anger. She'd learned to interpret the subtle nuances of his demeanor. He worried for her, but knowing that did not make her happy. His concern and caring only made things more painful. Why couldn't she have loved another? Why couldn't she have fallen for another god? Why had she been enslaved by a love so hopeless that she had to die in order to escape it? As the King continued gazing deep into her eyes, Aresa struggled to reign in her emotions, terrified that he would see right through her mask.

"You will be alone," he murmured. "You will be mortal, thrown into the chaos of the world with nothing and no one to protect you. You will not have your memories or powers. You will be _helpless_."

"I won't be alone," she breathed, afraid to move, afraid to think, afraid to do anything but pray that he would release her. She tried to back away from him and his severity, but no matter how she struggled, he held fast. "The others will protect me," she insisted.

"The others have little liking or patience for humanity," the King said, his eyes narrowing.

"I will make them understand," Aresa vowed. "I will show them the error of their ways and will erase their sin."

"And what of your own?" the King demanded suddenly.

Her heart stopped. She couldn't suppress a gasp of shock. Aresa stopped struggling. Her eyes snapped to the King's. Within, she saw everything she'd feared for so long.

He _knew_.

He knew everything.

The magnitude of this understanding stole all strength from her. As her knees buckled, he caught her and pulled her against him. Aresa's thoughts blurred and melted together into a jumble of chaotic screams. Her hands itched to cling to him, to beg him for forgiveness, and to stop him from turning his back to her now that he knew the depth of her shame. She welcomed the pain of his arms around her, wished it was stronger so that her inner voice would stop shrieking. She lowered her head, wishing desperately that she could vanish.

"Look at me, Aresarri," he commanded.

She obeyed, her throat tightening as though a noose had been wrapped around it.

Aresarri. He'd called her name. Not only that, but he'd spoken informally. She'd never heard him refer to himself in such a way. His eyes softened. She opened her mouth to say something, but before any sound could escape her, he tipped his head and brushed his lips against hers. The touch was brief, so soft and ghostly that she thought she might have imagined it.

"Your Majesty…"

Suddenly, he let go of her. She sank to the floor, stunned. Tucking his hands back into his long sleeves, the King turned away. Aresa brought a shaking hand to her lips.

"I envy you, Aresarri. I wish that I, too, might have the chance to erase my sin. In becoming mortal and in losing your memory, you will be rid of the pandemonium you've kept sealed away for so long within your heart. I can find no such escape."

"Please forgive me…" Tears stung at the corners of her eyes.

"I cannot, for if I do, then I must admit that you mean nothing more to me than just another subject. I refuse to bow before the laws I have set down myself. In this — in loving you — I have sinned more than any of my children. My penance shall have to be the thought of sending you away to certain death and certain love with another. To love is to sacrifice. You know it now, but will you know it in your mortal coil, I wonder…"

"The Dark King…" Aresa managed to say, "if we don't stop him…"

"You are the only one who can save the Earth and Heavens now, Goddess of Fate." When he turned back to face her, his eyes were cold and lifeless. "I sacrifice your life in the name of saving mankind and purging the strongest of the Heavens of their sin. Do you have any last requests before we begin?"

Aresa bit at her lower lip. "Just one, my King..."

"I believe I know what you will ask of me. Worry not. He will not remember you, just as none in the Heavens will."

"Thank you..."

The King raised his hand in the air. Aresa flinched as a crushing pressure assailed her. She gritted her teeth to keep from crying out. Knowing that these were her last moments, she tried to brand the way the King looked now into the memories of her soul.

 _I love you,_ she whispered in her mind.

"Go now," the Kind nodded, "and for as long as you can, remember that I have loved you more than any star in our sky."


End file.
